Batoids: Order Pristiformes:
Sawfishes — 6 species
- snout saw-like with equal-sized, strongly-embedded teeth along margin; nasal barbels absent
- body shark-like
- two distinct dorsal fins and a caudal fin
- ovoviviparous
- mostly marine, although the largetooth sawfish (Pristis microdon) ascends some rivers in Australia and New Guinea
- 2 genera (Pristis and Anoxypristis) in the family Pristidae
Largetooth Sawfish (Pristis microdon)
The saw is apparently used to disable or kill small, schooling fishes and dig up buried crabs or bivalves. Pups are born with a membranous sheath over the saw, possibly preventing injury to the mother during birth. The Green Sawfish (Pristis zijsron) of the western Pacific and Indian oceans is the largest species, growing to over 24 feet (7.3 metres) in length — longer than the largest known White Shark. Because they live in estuarine and riverine areas that are heavily fished and subject to pollution, many sawfish species are endangered.
